Rant

Chuck Palahniuk

Published By: Anchor

Book Category: Fiction,

Reviewed by Michele E. Davis

A tragic-comic thriller ride, Rant is about Buster “Rant” Casey and is filled with author Palahniuk’s dark, blacker-than-night humor, cynical and withering social commentary, as well as stomach-churning, diarrheic-inducing details. Every odd ball he ever encountered is interviewed to display their own moral ineptitudes as well as what they thought about Rant.

The name Rant comes from the sound kids make vomiting and Casey will always be remembered with that nickname even after he ends his life with a blaze of glory in a stupendous car accident. Palahniuk proved himself with Fight Club and six other novels. His social commentary is witty and intelligent, as the car dealer says, ”...but every person is obsessed with himself. You are your own favorite hobby. You’re an expert on you.” Palahniuk is always on the money with his societal observances.

There is a divided culture described here, those of the Daytimers and those of
Nighttimers and Rant’s group, the Party Crashers. The Crashers are a group of wild-living crazy men and women who challenge authority, look out for police and are reckless beyond belief, which is probably what Rant got in their car handing over an 1887 gold coin for gas money. His token to getting the inside scoop on the fast-paced, dangerous life that a serial killer would be quite at home with and welcome. Yes, Rant is a serial killer. After his death many are shocked, but one thing is for certain: he was headed that way long before he hit adulthood.

Armchair Interviews says: It takes a certain countenance to deal with Palahniuk’s writing, if you have the stomach for grossness, you’ll love this book.